Jorge Vega holds his mother Carmen Maymi, left, and girlfriend, Karla Cerecedo as he prepares to leave for his first deployment to Afghanistan with the 269th Military Police Company.

Written by

Amanda Haggard
The Daily News Journal

MURFREESBORO - - Carmen Maymi could barely speak early Monday at the 1st Lt. William Eric Emmert National Guard Armory in Murfreesboro. Her 19-year-old son, Jorge Vega, was preparing to leave for his first deployment to Afghanistan with the 269th Military Police Company.

There was one thing she could say - a mantra for the hopeful mother: "I'll pray for him every day."

She repeated the words over and over as her family huddled around their young loved one. ...